


The Golem

by yuletide_archivist



Category: Dungeons and Dragons (Cartoon)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-01-24
Updated: 2008-01-24
Packaged: 2018-01-25 03:22:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,945
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1628855
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yuletide_archivist/pseuds/yuletide_archivist
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Written for Serenade</p>
    </blockquote>





	The Golem

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Serenade

 

 

Disclaimer: Dungeons and Dragons is the creation of Gary Gyrax, DIC Animation Studios and its respective creators and producers, as are the characters; it is not mine. Note: Written for serenade's request in the Yuletide 2007 Challenge.

"The Golem" by Karen

The village nestled directly at the bottom of a bowl-shaped valley cradled as if were cupped in the palm of a giant hand. 

From the top of the valley's crest Hank and his companions could make out a few details, noting that the majority of the structures had been constructed of wood and stone with thatched straw roofs, green and brown patches dotted the valley floor indicating cultivated field perhaps, or even gardens. 

The valley and its tiny village came as a welcome sight after weeks of hard travel through the surrounding countryside. 

It was well enough that Presto had managed to pick up a tattered and sorry-looking map at their last stop with a caravan of gypsies because otherwise they might have been hopelessly lost. 

Hank asked Presto for the map, holding it down flat on the ground with a pair of good-sized rocks against the steadily picking up in intensity wind. 

All of the others crowded around them for a quick look at it before going off lay down preparations for a quick supper. 

Later that next day, they agreed to come down into the bowl of the valley and into the village proper. According to the map the name of the village was Haunn, which meant nothing to Hank or any of his friends.

As they walked through the main thoroughfare that served as the small village's main street Erik pointed out the stables, the black smith, smithy where he planned to make inquires about getting a new sole for his boots and maybe even get his shield buffed. 

Hank was simply too tired and to point out that the did not have enough money with which to pay for such services. Presto might have a magic spell in his hat of tricks to conjure up more, but why risk it?

Erik and Diana wrangled for a bit, and he only half-listened to their friendly argument knowing that it would good for them to work it out of their systems. In fact, there were times in the friendly two-way banter that Hank found rather amusing, and as they walked felt inclined to over a comment or two of his own.

Diana spotted a likely-looking in and they began walking in that general direction.

It might have been the product of his imagination, or sheer exhaustion, but Hank could have sworn that the townspeople were afraid. At first glance he thought it was them, I mean, Hank thought, our garb is pretty outlandish even for the Realm, and we are outsiders, just not in the way that they think we are, so what gives? What are they so afraid of?

It was a niggling thought at the back of his hand, and one that would not go away, no matter how much he tried.

The interior of the inn was warm, friendly, and remarkably smoke-free due to the cleverly designed venting system in the thatched roof overhead. They were met at the door by a older man with a mustache and salt and pepper hair, who bid them welcome and offered the a table by the back wall. 

Outside of the lead-paned but still remarkably clean windows of the inn, the sun had still a few hours before it would reach the mid-point of the sky marking the noon-time hour.

Erik and Bobby had taken seats across from each other.

A cloaked man, with wheat-colored lank hair cut low to his forehead and around his ears took the untenanted seat across from Hank. 

The man's eyes were an indeterminate color of watery blue and he seemed to very badly which to share whatever information that he held so closely, yet at the same time to fear revealing too much. To Hank's way of thinking the older man did not seem to be either crazy or drunk, and wondered if it would be better to firmly ask the man to leave their group alone.

"Young master," he finally said, leaning back in his chair and reaching out one hand to curl his fingers around the handle of a pint of ale. "I have something of a great deal of importance to convey to you. Are we alone?"

"My friends will be back soon, with our mid-day meal," Hank replied.

"Then we have little time," the man murmured.

"Pardon my speaking out of turn, as it were. My name is Aaron and you are new to these parts, so I will get right to the point," For some time now our village has been made to pay an exorbitant tax to the local governor that claims this area of the surrounding countryside."

"I'm really sorry to hear that," Hank replied," But I don't see how we could do anything to help you with that."

"Agreed," the man introduced as Adrian nodded and paused to take a generous sip of his ale pint, tossing it back and then setting the pint back on the wooden table with a loud thunk, before continuing. "If the tribute were all that we had to worry about, that would be one thing. Don't be alarmed, but I tracked your progress down from the valley's rim and into the village."

"What do you want with us!" Hank replied, feeling a bit crept out by all this, not quite reaching the alarmed yet by what the other man had to say.

"Relax, I mean you no harm," Aaron replied, "In fact, the reason I followed was because I need your help. If you are the one we've been waiting for."

"We?'

"Our small group, as it were that seek to end the trial on our lives. I ask for your help in this matter. We do not have much in the way of money, but if you would agree to help us, we would be eternally grateful."

"I'm sorry, I would like to help you," Hank replied, "but I still don't quite understand what you need me to do."

"It is....difficult for me to explain," Aaron began. "It would be easier to simply show you. But before we go any further, I must ask you to keep an open mind, for what you are about to see, is well, complicated."

"Does it involve magic?" Hank asked.

"Not of the common sort," Aaron reluctantly admitted. "There is as much magic as there is a certain kind of well, well, natural forces of energy and spirit at work."

"Why do I get the feeling, that I might live to regret this decision?" Hank sighed and then asked. "May I bring my friends along?"

"If you wish," Aaron replied.

"One of them is a wizard, of sorts, and I got the feeling we might need some magical back-up."

"We will not depart until later this evening," Aaron replied, "So, yes, you may bring your friends."

****

Later that night, a late fall mist had drifted over the valley making the air feel quite damp, but not entirely unpleasant. 

The moon cresting above the treelike was at a half-crescent. Hank, with Presto and Diana in tow, leaving Erik and Bobby asleep at the inn, followed Aaron through the winding streets of the village, across a garden, and finally to a two-story house in an out-of-the way section. 

The streets were paved in cobblestones and the house had a narrow patch of a vegetable garden planted outside and to the left of the main structure.

Encounter

Inside the house, an older man in a grayish black robe greeted Aaron's return as the man had been a long-lost son, as in fact, he might have been. The man's gray-blue eyes were deeply wrinkled and kind, and looked to have seen much, both good and bad, in their time. 

Hank wondered why he suddenly knew this, and the tingling pull of an uncanny connection to the old man was as sudden as it was strong in him. 

"Greetings, my young friends, my name is Abri Lowe, and I bid you welcome to our humble abode. Would you care for some root tea?" he asked.

There was a few awkward pauses and fumbling and exchange of glances before the small group finally gathered around a low wooden table in the small kitchen with delicate cups of tea steaming in front of them. Presto identified the root tea as some kind of herbal infusion but for the rest of his friends, it did not matter, it tasted pretty good.

"If you don't mind my saying, you've traveled a long way to reach our village, am I correct in that assessment?," Lowe asked at one point between sips of tea and bites of tiny oblong bread that tasted faintly of sourdough and sugar.

"We have," Diana agreed her curly hair frizzy from the long trip and the heat in tiny enclosed room. 

"Then indulge me for a moment longer while I explain why I had my son Aaron bring you here." Aaron sighed. This was going to be difficult for him in more ways than one and glancing around at the young people gathered around his table, he wished that he had another choice, or that circumstances had not forced him to take the actions that he had. These were children, no older than his own son for all their travels and warrior garb. 

"About time," Erik griped around a mouthful of the bread, ignoring the sidelong glances of his companions at the rudeness.

Bobby who had not said much up until now. "I've been wondering about that myself, ever since the inn." 

"Very well," Lowe sighed and leant back in his chair steep ling his fingers together in front of him. "It is difficult to know where to begin, and at my age it seems as if we, being my people have always been living under one kind of shadow or another."

"Go on," Diana encouraged.

"As you know, we have asked for your help in a matter of great importance to us, and it will be dangerous. I will not hide that from you."

"You might want to give us some more details before we agree to anything," Hank said.

""Our tribe is a small one, but a handful of years ago we were people of consequence, with influences in various circles, not just within our own valley, but in the surrounding area. But we grew too far, too fast, and there were those who grew envious of our influence and let's face it, our prosperity.

"I don't like where this is going," Erik muttered and went quiet with a reproachful glare at Diana who darted a sharp elbow into his side and told him to hush.

"Let us move forward to the more recent past, we were not fighters, our people talents lie in trades, farmers, fishing, blacksmith, money lending, and once hostilities began we could not fight back against those who sought to bring us down."

"I feel for your problems, but what does any of that have to do with us," Diana asked.

"Eventually our tribal elders got together with our village council and we agreed that the only way we could improve the situation was to employ the help of well, for you might call it magical means." Lowe shrugged and offered up a tentative smile to all of those gathered around the table.

"Using techniques that were ancient even when I was boy, we created a protector. It is called a golem."

"I'm sorry, I still don't understand," Hank replied.

"A golem is a kind of automaton, made of clay and wood, and brought to `life', Lowe began as he wiped sweat from his brow with the back of his left hand. "although it is not truly alive as you and are, with the ritualistic spells known to our spiritual leaders.

"What kind of spell," Presto asked eagerly his eyes lighting at the prospect of adding another magical spell to his bag of tricks. 

"I can not tell you that, young wizard, for it is one that is a secret one, and to passed down from master to apprentice and from father to son," Lowe replied, "I am certain you can understand that, no?"

"I, I guess so," Presto replied slumping back into his chair with his green robes puddling on the floor.

"What happened to this protector," Erik asked.

"That is both strange and for me rather embarrassing, Lowe replied. "The golem has been stolen."

"Stolen? A chorus of young voices said in astonishment.

"Yes, stolen," Aaron added.

"And you want us to help you get it back." Hank said quieting the commotion in the room with that, and it was more of a statement than a question.

"Yes," Aaron answered.

Hank stood up, "I'm not promising anything, but we will certainly try. Where do we start?"

"Hank! I can't believe you can make a decision like that without asking the rest of us, I mean,..." Erik spluttered.

"I just have, Let it go, Erik." Hank sighed.

They left the house much in the same manner as they had arrived, following Aaron through the winding streets in the semi-darkness. Aaron carried a torch which only provided enough illumination to light the way for about three of four in front of them. Presto offered to help out using a light spell, but then considered against it, since if there figured that the glow from the spell might give away their position to any possible enemies watching out for them. 

There was always the possibility that some of their own enemies would give much to have something of substance to report to their own arch-enemy, Venger, so it would be best to err on the side of caution. 

Hank did not know what made him so readily agree to help these people but that sense of a strong connection was still with him as they walked. 

At the outskirts of the village Aaron halted the companions and handed over the torch to Diana. "This is where we part ways. Good luck to you, and know that our prayers go with you."

"You're not coming with us?" Erik asked.

"No," Aaron replied. "In the forests here, is where the last known reliable sighting of the golem was only a month ago. You should begin your search here. I wish there was more information I could give you to make this easier, but I cannot."

"We understand," Diana said laying her hand on Aaron's shoulder.

"Let's go," Bobby said.

Farther toward the valley's northern edge and with the last house of the village at their backs the trees grew closer together and the scent and smells were much stronger, pine, bitch, oak, and rowan. Night fall was coming on and the companions drew the hoods of their traveling cloaks down lower over their faces and necks for added warmth.

`Hank," Diana asked, "You do have a plan in mind." I don't mind that you agreed to helping these people, but we need more to go on if we're going to find this golem."

"You're right, and I've been thinking about that, and I've come up with a plan."

"If you were a magical protector, where would you be?" Diana asked.

"If you were trying hide something like that, you keep out of the way of everyone else."

"Unless you wanted to use it against its former owners," Bobby added.

"Exactly." Hank agreed.

"So where do we start looking," Erik asked.

"I could do a seeking spell," Presto added reaching for his bag of magical tricks.

"That's a good idea," Hank agreed, but no offense, Presto, let's try it the old-fashioned way first, by looking and then we use magic, okay?"

"Okay," Presto said.

They beat a circling pattern around the forest, with night coming it made the task even more difficult, and finally Presto employed his light activating spell and surprisingly it worked on the first try. At one point, several hours into the search for the missing automation, Hank decided that it would be a could idea if they stopped and made camp for the night.

The next morning they resumed the search when they stumbled onto a small forest clearing with a ugly looking cabin at its center. A loud crashing and banging sound came from within the structure and suddenly a giant shadow burst through the door amidst splinters and smoke.

Hank did not know what to make of the golem once they found it. For one thing it was much bigger than he had anticipated, standing approximately seven feet tall and it shoulders were broader than anything living had a right to be. 

It's face seemed almost rudimentary, a narrow line for the mouth, a nose that appeared to have been added on as an afterthought, but it was the eyes that were the most startling feature were the eyes, deep sockets with a light burning in them which Hank guessed was the magic that made it `come alive' once activated.

It moved toward them at an awkward fumbling gait but if he remembered anything from his physic classes from back home it was that a body in motion tended to stay in motion unless it came into contact with something else; and that was one big body.

It came lumbering forward like a boulder rolling down hill and it was only a matter of time before that boulder crashed down on top of his friends.

"Well, looks like we found it," Bobby said from behind where he stood in the tiny forest clearing, his hand resting on top of his club.

"Looks like," Diana agreed, readying her own weapon.

"Do you think it's going to attack us," Presto asked nervously.

"If they stole it, they obviously meant to use it against its former owners," Hank replied, "So, yes, I bet it's hostile."

"Do you think they sent it to attack us?" Diana asked.

Before Hank had a chance to answer her question the golem in a blur of motion had crossed the space between them and was bearing down on the companions.

"I guess that answers that question," Erick muttered and drew his shield from where it rested on his back.

Hank stumbled back a few paces and drew his bow from its sheath, not knowing whether it would even scratch the surface of the clay and metal giant, and with Erik backing him up from the side, and Diana gave a yell and leapt forward her own weapon whirling over and over in her hand.

Diana with her athletic grace and agility alight on the golem's broad shoulders and gave it a good solid thwack. It did not seem to even notice the blow and causally reached up and plucked her off as if where merely swatting away a cluster of gnats.

Diana went flying and came to a landing on a patch of scraggly brown grass. Hank glanced over at her and gave a sigh of relief when she sat up again, groggy and a bit dazed but no worse for wear. 

Bobby gave a yell of his own and ran forward to get in several whacks of his own on the creature's kneecaps. This seemed to be more effective as the golem reeled a bit from the repeated blows, while Hank got in some of his own.

After several minutes of this without much give on either side, the creature finally stiffly bent over at the waist and with stubby fingers picked them both up and threw them across the clearing. `The thing is strong, I'll give it that," Hank thought as he went flying trying to keep a tight grip on his bow and arrow.

Bobby had been forced back and Erik had changed tactics from attacking with his shield to using it as defensive barrier. Hank brought his bow and sighted along its shaft aiming for the creature's slow-burning disturbing eyes and let fly an glowing arrow.

His first shot went wide and caromed off of the golem's shoulder, he readied and fired another one, this one went low and hit the golem in the chest where it bounced off and fell to the clearing floor. Hank realized that as much as he wanted to protect his friends, this was going to take all of his concentration to pull off. 

The creature was big, strong and seemingly unstoppable and the task of finding it and returning it to its rightful owners seemed impossible, but Hank as the old saying went, the bigger it is, the harder it falls. 

And if Hank had learned anything, both back home and here in the Realm, no matter how big and strong something was, it had to have a weak spot, it was just a matter of finding it.

In the back of his mind, he had a sudden glimmer of insight into how to stop the golem, from the first moment he had seen it, it was it's eyes that had held and fascinated him. There was a connection there, and with that thought in his mind Hank blocked out all other external sounds, sights and smells, sighted along the shaft of his bow and let fly one final glowing arrow, and this time it hit its target.

The golem faltered, seeming to be as shocked as Hank was, it stopped trying to shove away its attackers and reached up with its right hand to pluck at the dart that had been lodged into its right eye. The glowing embers of magical life flickered and it swiveled its massive head around to gaze at all of them in that small forest clearing. 

Because its features were so nondescript Hank could not tell if it was angry, or startled, or even puzzled at what had happened. It simply closed its eyes and toppled over with a loud crash onto the floor of the clearing, and then it was all over except for the shouting.

Conclusion

Later that afternoon, back at the house of the Abi Lowe. 

"I'm sorry about what happened," Hank said. "In order to stop the golem we had to destroy it, and now your people are without a protector."

"Do not concern yourself with that, Hank, my boy," Lowe replied placing a soothing hand on Hank's shoulder. "I knew that once circumstances had reached a certain point, that might happen."

"The golem has long been a part of our people's tradition, and we always run that risk, no matter who brings it into being," Aaron added as he went around the table ladling a beef broth into their bowls. "Just know that we are grateful for your help."

"You're welcome," Diana said, "But I'm still not certain I understand what happened back there."

"Once the connection between this world and that of the golem was severed it could not longer move or function," Aaron replied an darted a glance at Hank. "I don't know how you knew to do that, but that was well done."

"Thank you, I guess," Hank replied flushing a bit with mingled pride and embarrassment at the praise. 

"Very well done," Lowe echoed. "Please, enjoy your meal, it was well deserved and it is the least we can do in repayment of the service you have done for the people of the village." And with that they began to eat and afterwards Lowe would have Aaron provide them with a map to guide them through the remainder of their travel through the surrounding countryside. 

 


End file.
